Rookie camp has wrapped up for the NY Islanders, as the NHL players report to camp today for their physicals and will hit the ice tomorrow.
While much of the roster is the same as the Isles finished with last season, many of the players and coaching staff look at this as a fresh start with a new group. The only new faces who were signed during the off-season are Julien Gauthier, Karson Kuhlman, and Brian Pinho.
"I look at this as a new group," said Lane Lambert. "I look at it also with the way we finished the season in terms of our last stretch of games where we played very, very well heading into the playoffs. Those guys, Pierre and Bo, came in and helped us out a lot, so to me, it's exciting to start fresh with that group that we finished with.
According to Lambert, around 60 players will attend camp to start as the rookies integrate with the older players, sharing the ice and lining up alongside one another during the pre-season. Isaiah George, William Dufour, and Tristan Lennox stood out during rookie camp, but how will they fare against the stiffer competition?
According to CapFriendly, the Islanders are currently $486,625 above the salary cap, meaning Lou Lamoriello has to make at least one roster move before the season begins to be cap-compliant.
Aside from finalizing the roster, Lane Lambert has some decisions to make regarding how his team will line up come October 14th against the Buffalo Sabres.
Here are three things to keep an eye on as the Isles begin training camp: